Movie-to-menu: When The Princess and the Frog came to the table in Chennai

Growing up, I was a Disney fan , and it has not faded over the years. From Snow White and theSeven Dwarfs to Cinderella, Aladdin and Tangled, I have watched them all. While love was always at the heart of these stories, what quietly fascinated me was the food — the grand tables overflowing with dishes, that felt as magical as the fairytales themselves. So when I was told I could actually experience the food from one of Disney’s iconic films, The Princess and the Frog, the 10-year-old me lit up with joy.

Payoja setting up the food
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Movie-to-menu, a concept that began in the West, is now finding a footing in India. You may have come across reels of diners pairing their meals with Ratatouille, but at Chennai’s The Corner Company, Alwarpet — a space helmed by Sindhu Ganesh, with a menu curated by pastry Chef Payoja Sharma, choosing a different film felt like a deliberate move away from the expected. “What made The Princess and the Frog particularly compelling for this concept was how deeply its story is rooted in food. The protagonist’s journey is shaped not just by her culinary ambitions but by the love and values she inherits from her father. That emotional connection to food resonated strongly with me,” says Payoja. 

Set in 1920s New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog follows Tiana, an ambitious young chef who dreams of opening her own restaurant. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she meets Prince Naveen, transformed into a frog, and a kiss meant to break the spell instead pulls her into an enhanced world.

As Tiana stirred a pot of gumbo on screen, the same dish arrived at our table. The New Orleans-style classic — built on a base of vegetables, bell peppers, and celery was warm, hearty, and deeply comforting. Second up was big daddy’s beignets — traditionally a sweet, deep-fried pastry, but here given a savoury twist, drizzled with hot sauce and finished with a dusting of powdered cheese instead of sugar.  Beignets are best enjoyed hot and fresh out of the fryer, and being served cold here felt like a miss.

The seating is kept minimal, capped at around 20 guests, making the experience more intimate. While dishes keep coming, there is ample time for the audience to sit back and enjoy the film as well. “First, when I watched the film, I made a note of all the dishes that appeared on screen. I then tried recreating them at home, and the next challenge was figuring out how they could come together as a cohesive five-course meal,” says Payoja. 

When the alligator Louis eyed the frogs on the screen, our cajun-style crisp babycorn arrived at the table, reimagined as frog legs. The main was named Tia’s swamp sustenance, a vegetarian take on jambalaya, inspired by the scene where Tiana, alongside Prince Naveen, pieces together a meal in the swamp using whatever they can find. 

With the film drawing to a close in a sweet reunion, our dessert arrived, ‘hoppily ever after’, a dense chocolate cake with pistachio mousse and paired with strawberries. 

I left the venue with a full stomach and a happy heart, reminded that magic exists at every age.

For the next movie-to-menu Payoja will be playing the movie Ratatouille on April 26, at The Corner Company, Alwarpet.